Requirements for Building Hardwood Floors

Hardwood flooring is a beautiful choice for covering your floors. It is long-lasting and can be finished in a number of ways. Hardwood flooring can be refinished, stained and lacquered when it needs to be. Many older homes sport original hardwood flooring, even though it was installed 60, 80 or 100 years ago. Your new hardwood flooring can last that long as well, but there are certain requirements that must be met, for it to be a durable option.

First Things First

Planning a hardwood flooring installation requires work, color matching, ordering and waiting. Find a hardwood flooring in the desired wood species, plank width and availability (in-stock or special order). Do not underestimate how much time and effort this process could take. If you are one of the lucky few who finds a suitable flooring in the first flooring store you visit, count yourself lucky. Shop around and see what is available in your area. Compare prices and quality.

Preparation

New hardwood flooring planks must be acclimated, not only to the home that they will be installed in, but also to the specific room in which they will be installed. The flooring can remain in the packaging during the acclimation period, but there must be a 4-inch airspace between the cartons, and they must be stored in a room at ground level or above. Hardwood flooring cannot be installed below ground level, because of possible moisture issues.

Subfloor Conditions

All subflooring must be clean (free of paints, waxes, oils, grease, dirt and debris), dry and level. Do not use a cement-based leveling compound under hardwood flooring. Most hardwood flooring requires an underlayment. Roofer's felt will act as an underlayment, and as a vapor barrier to keep the moisture content within ideal levels. The subfloor itself must be structurally sound, without excess vertical or horizontal movement. If the subfloor squeaks, drill 2-inch drywall screws through the subfloor into the floor joists to stop the squeaks. Water-damaged subflooring must be replaced.

Subfloor Requirements

Subflooring for hardwood flooring can be plywood or solid wood planks. Hardwood flooring should not be installed directly to a concrete subfloor. The manufacturer of your flooring should include installation instructions with your hardwood flooring, specifying their requirements for concrete floor installations. When installing hardwood flooring over concrete, a plywood subfloor with a moisture barrier should be built on top of the concrete subfloor.

Tools Required

Different hardwood flooring applications will require different tools for installation, but you should have at least the following tools: chalk line, nail set, tape measure, hammer, miter or circular saw, dust masks, drill and #2 drill bits, air compressor, air hose, 1 1/2-inch or 2-inch hardwood flooring fasteners (nails or staples, as recommended), pneumatic finish nailer with 1 1/2-inch or 2-inch finish nails, moisture meter (wood, concrete or both), broom and dustpan, undercut saw, safety glasses, transition strips that will match the hardwood flooring, and baseboards.

Resources

• Bruce Hardwood Floor installation instructions